New Delhi, Saturday, 31
March 2009: The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat [umbrella body of
Indian Muslim organisations] has expressed its dismay at the observation
attributed to Supreme Court’s Justice Markandeya Katju while rejecting a
Muslim student’s right to sport beard, that “Talibanisation of the country
cannot be permitted”. This bizarre and uncalled for opinion flies in the
face of the religious, civil and human rights of every Indian citizen
guaranteed by our Constitution. A Muslim’s request to be allowed to grow
beard cannot be equated as “Talibanisation” of the country. Justice Katju
has further opined that “tomorrow a girl student may come and say that she
wants to wear a burqa, can we allow it?” Expression of such opinion from
the bench of the Supreme Court is a very serious matter as it is a clear
infringement of the religious, civil and human rights of millions Muslims
and others who have kept beards and observed purdah, a tradition
continuing for over a thousand years in our country, long before anyone
heard of the word “Taliban” or its current connotations.

Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President of the AIMMM, said that it is very
unfortunate that a Supreme Court judge should nurse such biased and
communal ideas and hide behind his claim that he is “a secularist to the
core”. Our idea of secularism does not deny religious people their right
to abide by their religion in a peaceful way which does not hurt anyone
else in any way. Rather, true secularism means that the State will not
have an official religion and that it will not interfere in the religious
beliefs of its citizens.

Dr Khan added that the AIMMM believes that such biased persons should not
serve as judges of any court, lower or superior. Such biased minds are not
fit to dispense justice which must be neutral and fair. If this logic is
true then all similar manifestations by believers in other religions
should be banned like turban and kirpan for Sikhs, qashqa and choti for
Hindus and wearing of crosses by Christians. Is Judge Katju ready to ban
such manifestations too, Dr Khan asked. He said that AIMMM is studying
this matter and may decide to appeal against the said opinion expressed by
an apex court judge while hearing a legal case involving religious and
civil rights.

[All India Muslim
Majlis-e Mushawarat is an umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations]